Chusetts



Dec. 3, 1929. R. H. CHARLTON FILING DEVICE Filed Aug. 13, 1927 fZ/ j 5 Sheets-Sheet l .W f @I 2 Maw ./0 w/Pf D La 5 /a 7 Ri f. W I F f @l Dec. 3, 1929. R. H. CHARLTON FILING DEVICE Filed Aug. 13 1927 3 sheets-sheet 2 Dec. 3, 1929. R. H. CHARLTON 1,737,641

FILING DEVICE Filed Aug. 13. 1927 s sheets-sheet 3 12 4.5 QZ I U2 u u d M mam/My,

Patented Dec. 3, 19.29

STATES PATENT OFFQE ROY H. CHARLTON, OF BELMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO FILING EQUIPMENT BUREAU', INCORPORATED, OF BOSTON, .MASSACHUSETT A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS FILING DEVICE Application led August 13, 1927.

rlhis invention relates to filing devices such as drawers or trays for use in vertical filing systems, and more particularly to means for holding the indexed subject matter in an upright position within a drawer or box and for facilitating the inspection and removal of the saine from the drawer.

The drawers herein illustrated as exempliiications of the invention are especially designed as filing drawers for folders or tile wrappers adapted to contain papers or other indexed material. This invention is not, however, limited to that particular use, but is applicable to filing cabinets or trays for record sheets, cards, photoplates, X-ray negatives, phonograph records or other filed contents which are intended t-o be vertically disposed therein.

Difficulty has been experienced heretofore in properly preserving such materials and 1n conveniently inspecting and removing the same from the filing cabinet, for the reason that, when the drawer or tray is only partially filled, the folders or other indexed matter tend to incline from a vertical position and rest obliquely in the tray or flatwise upon its bottom. The folders and their Contents are consequently bent out of shape and frequently crushed or broken by the excessive weight of the superposed contents of the drawer or by the handling to which they are subjected in sorting or rearranging. Removal of the drawer contents is also more difficult and the folder can not be opened to inspect its contents without eXpending the time and effort necessary to remove the desired folder from the drawer. These objections have been overcome to some extent by providing a follower block at the back of each drawer adapted to support the folders and to be moved forwardly and rearwardly of the drawer as the bulk of the filed contents is varied. While this expedient assists in holdingl the folders upright, an annoying loss of time is required in adjusting its position whenever a few folders are added to or removed from the drawer; the manipulation of the follower is frequently difficult owing to the binding of its frictional attachments; 5C and it occupies considerable of the filing space Serial No. 212,794.

in the drawer which should be utilized for the insertion of filing material.

Devices comprising a frame support and a series of flexible pockets carried by transverse bars loosely mounted on the support, have also been provided; but such devices are also objectionable, for the loose mounting of the bars permits the suspended pockets freely to slide longitudinally of the frame, fails adequately to support the filed contents and allows the papers or liles within the pockets to tip forwardly or rearwardly, and are not readily adjustable to different numbers of folders or other material to be filed in the pockets.

The principal objects of the present invention are to obviate the difliculties heretofore encountered in the production of an efficient filing device by providing means for divi-ding a drawer or tray into a plurality of compartments bounded by transverse panels which are fiexibly mounted so as to slide a limited distance longitudinally of the drawer under manual pressure but which are ordi.

narily supported in parallel spaced relation; to provide spring members intermediate the panels to restrain casual movement of the panels and to hold them in said space-d relation; to furnish guides for the panels and means for detachably connecting the panels to the guides, so that the panels may readily be removed without disturbing the guides; and to provide convenient means for attaching the guides to the ordinary filing drawer or tray.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the embodiportion slidably mountedV behind the rail flanges and having another portion adapted to project inwardly from the respective rails and` to detachably interlock with the panel, whereby the panel is supported transversely of the drawer' and may be swung obliquely of the drawer to permit its separation from the hinged member, and spring members disposed within the respective rail flanges and bearing upon the slidable portion of said hinged members to restrain the movement of said members.

S. A filing drawer comprising combina- 'ion a draw-r, che neied guide rails extendof the drawer and having intur ted long iudinal a panel :tor dii the draf.' space, the panel having a cross` bar projecting beyond its ral edges and the s id projectie o' portions being :told l 'ovide pockets open at the end, hinge embers for supporting the panel, one leaii ot each member bein g mounted ier longitudinally sliding i'novenient b nd the iiangcs of the respective 7nils and t e other leaic being received wie, in one of s Ld pockets, whereby' the `panel is suspended transvers l drawer, and may be swung obliquely ci: drawer, each pocltet having a portion normally locking the said bar to the ective leaves of hinge members, so that 'the panel can not b removed 'from its supports until it swung obliquely of the drawer, and spring n embers disposed within the respective rail rEiniges adapted to restrain movement et the dable portion of the hinged member.

9. A tiling drawer comprising in combination drawer, channeled guide rails extendlongitudinally of the drawer and having inturned longitudinal flanges, a panel for dividing the drawer space, the panel having a cross bar projecting beyond its lateral edge. and t e said projeeting portions being i'old'ed to provide pockets open at the fend, hinge membersfor supporting the panel, one leaf of each member being mounted for longitudinally sliding movement behind the ilanges o" the respective rails and the other leaf being received within one of said pockets whereby the panel is suspended transversely o the drawer, ind may be swung obliquely ot the (lrawcr,

li pocket having a portion normally lockthe barr to the respective leaves oi ,ne hinge members, so that the panel can not om its supports until it isswung 23e reino-ved t oblique-ly oit the drawer.

l0. il filing drawer comprising in combination a drawer, channeled guide rails er; endg L dinally oi 'the drawer and having inturnedilanges, a panel for dividing the drawer space, a hinged member having one portion slidably mounted beh" l the rail llanges and havi another portion aoapted te project inwardly from the respective rails and to detachably interlock with the panel, vliereby the panel ie supported transversely ol" the drawer and may be swung obliquely or" the drawer to permit its separatio'- 'from the hinged member.

ll. A liling device comprising in combination a. drawer, guides associated with the drawer, a panel llardi'viding the drawer space, said panel beng disposed between the guides and having` connecting members movable longitudinally of the guides, id spring members carried by the guides, adapted normally to restrain movement ot the panel, and means for detaehably mounting said guides upon the sides et the drawer.

l2. A tiling device comprising in combination a drawer h aving side walls provided with a thickened upper edge, flanged supports arranged at the several corners oi the drawer and projecting above the said upper edges, bolts passing through said supports and hooliing over said thickened edges Afor detaehably eeting the supports to the drawer, channeled guide rails extending longitudinally oi the drawer above said upper edges, and means 'fening the guides to the supports.

i3. fr filing device comprising in combination e drawer having side walls, longitudinal members removably mounted above valle substantially in the plano of the ridi-s carried by each of said guide and adapted to slide .longitudinally tot, the riders on one side oi the drawer l g normally disposed opposite correspondig riders on the other side, individual comiression springs carried by the respective guide members between the res lectivo riders, the ends el' the springs normally bearing against the riders to restrain sliding movement thereof, and individual panels detachably supported between opposed pairs of rid ers, the panels being normally held in spaced parallel relation by said spring-positioned riders and being movable longitudinally oithe drawer.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass., this 12th day of August, 1927. 

